Which Son?

"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?"
Matthew 21:28-31

Jesus was a master storyteller. He used parables when he spoke to the people. This was not only to capture their attention, but to get them to consider what was being said. In this case, he was speaking to the Pharisees. These were the religious leaders of the day. They had attempted on many occasions to trap Jesus in the words he spoke, but they could not do it. So Jesus told them the parable of the two sons. The question he asked the Pharisees is still a valid one for us. "Which of the two did what his father wanted." And the obvious next question is: Which son are you?
    Jesus went on to rebuke the Pharisees. They answered the question Jesus asked by saying that the first son, the one who changed his mind and went to the vineyard, was the one who did what his father wanted. To this response, Jesus said that the tax collectors and prostitutes, some of the most despised people, would enter the kingdom of heaven before the Pharisees would. You see, they were the second son, the one who said he would go, but did not. The major difference between the two types of sons is this: One type is the sinners, the other is the religious.
    God can deal with sinners. All of us were once named among those. Of course, God rescued us from that life and literally gave us sainthood. We passed from death to life. There has never been a sinner who was beyond the redemptive work of Christ. He died once, for all. But the religious are another story. They are so convinced of their own righteousness, that they dismiss their need for a Savior. Like the Pharisees, they may not enter the kingdom of heaven. How much religious spirit still lives in us? How much of our lives is built on self righteousness, religious piety, and lifeless ceremonies? It is those areas that we must lay before God and receive the same salvation he gave us at the beginning of our Christian walks.
    Salvation is an ongoing experience. Until the day you die, you are being saved. So I ask you: Which son are you? Are you willing to enter the will of the Father for your life, or have you told him you would, and then walked away? I can tell you this with firm conviction: The religious will be the last to enter the kingdom of heaven, if they do at all. Religion is a poor substitute for relationship with God. If there is any of it left in your life, give it to God and allow him to take it. Repent and walk in the freedom of being a saint, set free from sin. With all my heart, I want to be the first son. Even though I was late in coming, I am going to do my Father's will. What do you say?